Willingham Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that the quality of teaching in science and the foundation subjects consistently matches the good quality seen in English throughout the school by:
  • developing more effective assessment in these subjects
  • tracking and monitoring the progress pupils make
  • incorporating an appropriate level of work to challenge the most able pupils.
• Continue to raise the quality of teaching in mathematics by ensuring that pupils are given enough opportunities to apply their mathematical skills in reasoning and in using fractions.
• Improve the way the school communicates with parents about activities planned and the support that their children are receiving.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since the previous inspection, school leaders have worked hard to ensure that teaching is typically good and that personal development, behaviour and welfare are good.
• The headteacher is very new to the school. However, senior leaders and governors have ensured that he is extremely well informed about the school’s strengths and areas for development as identified in the school’s action plan.
• The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection as a result of leaders’ well-considered actions. For example, teachers and support staff have been provided with high-quality training to enable them to teach aspects of the curriculum more effectively. This has had a positive impact on improving outcomes for pupils.
• Leaders make regular checks on the quality of teaching and learning. They use the performance management system effectively to set targets for ongoing improvement. These targets are linked appropriately to pupils’ outcomes and so pupils’ progress overall has improved.
• Middle leaders are passionate about their subjects. They are committed to raising standards within their areas of responsibility and to supporting pupils to achieve the best possible outcomes. For example, the physical education leader has very high expectations of pupils and staff to promote all aspects of sports activities and healthy lifestyles. These high expectations are clearly realised in lessons and recognised in feedback from pupils and staff.
• School leaders know the school and the local community very well. Strong links have been established with local churches and charities. The vast majority of parents value the school’s work and appreciate the commitment that staff show in ensuring that pupils are happy, safe and well looked after.
• The school’s broad and balanced curriculum provides pupils with a wide range of opportunities to learn. For example, pupils learn about the Mayan civilisation in history and Diwali in religious education. The computing curriculum encompasses e-safety effectively and lessons in art ensure that pupils are prepared for the next stage of their education at secondary school.
• Some subjects are not given the same level of scrutiny by school leaders as is currently in place for English and mathematics. For example, in some Year 3 and 4 geography and history books, the quality of work falls well below that seen in other subjects.
• The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about the democratic process through assemblies and elections. They voted for their school council representatives. The duly elected pupils told inspectors that they are proud to represent their peers. Fundamental British values are woven through the teaching of personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE), with a strong focus on tolerance and respect.
• The school makes good use of its sport premium funding. The funding covers the school’s subscription to a local school sports partnership. This provides a wide range of opportunities to participate in new sports and competitive events. There is a range of sporting activities before and after school, which are provided by sports specialists. The continued success of the school’s sporting activities is evident in the increased participation of pupils and staff. The school has also extended participation in external sporting events.
• Pupil premium funding is used well to support the small number of disadvantaged pupils at the school. Leaders and governors have ensured that any barriers to learning are identified quickly, addressed and removed. As a result, the attendance of this group has improved and these pupils make good progress. In most subjects, disadvantaged pupils make better progress than their peers in school and nationally.
• The school makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, strong teaching in art enables pupils to study artists from around the world, focusing on the features of the traditions and different cultures their work represents. School leaders have built up strong links with local churches and promote links with local charities. Pupils are aware of what it means to be a ‘child of Willingham’ and the values and ‘golden rules’ that this entails.
• The school’s breakfast club is well led and managed. Accommodating up to 35 pupils, the club is usually fully attended. The club ensures that pupils receive a safe start to the day and provides a range of healthy food for breakfast. Pupils clearly appreciate and enjoy this provision, which has helped to ensure that they are punctual and attend school regularly.
• School leaders have taken effective action to raise the attendance and reduce the persistent absence of specific groups of pupils, such as disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. Leaders’ close collaboration with the local authority traveller liaison officer has ensured that the attendance of the two Traveller community groups has improved significantly.
• The local authority provides a mixture of support and challenge to school leaders. The authority also helps to ensure that teachers and other staff receive high-quality training in line with the school’s identified areas for development.
• Parents receive half yearly written reports on their child's progress with parents' consultations offered termly. The school uses a range of social media to keep parents informed about school life. The art blog is particularly popular with parents and pupils alike.
• A few parents, however, have expressed disappointment with the level of communication from school leaders. This mainly relates to the provision of information about school activities and details of the support offered for their children.

Governance of the school

• The governance of the school is effective.
• The governing body has an in-depth knowledge of the school. Governors visit regularly and support school leaders in leading improvements. Equally, the governing body takes effective action in holding school leaders to account. This is evident, in particular, through their monitoring of the impact of the use of the pupil premium and sport funding.
• Governors ensure that all legal requirements regarding safeguarding are met and that policies are up to date. Governors also make regular checks on the single central record of staff who work in the school to ensure that it is accurate and compliant.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is regular and effective training for all staff and governors to ensure that they are up to date in their knowledge and understanding. Staff and pupils are well versed in aspects of safeguarding, including the prevention of radicalisation and extremism.
• The new headteacher is the designated safeguarding lead. Links with external agencies are strong and established, built up by the previous headteacher and current deputy headteacher.
• Inspection evidence shows that the school’s records are extremely thorough and robust. It is clear that, where appropriate, the school liaises with the local authority expediently and that safeguarding issues are closely and effectively monitored.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• As a result of school leaders’ effective action to raise standards of teaching, learning and assessment, teachers have high expectations of pupils’ achievement.
• Pupils’ purposeful behaviour and positive attitudes to learning play a significant role in contributing to their good progress. Pupils demonstrate a clear willingness to collaborate and to support other pupils.
• Teaching staff have good subject knowledge, especially in reading and writing, science and phonics. As a result, pupils are able to make faster progress.
• Leaders have made good progress in addressing the area for development identified in the previous inspection report regarding the teaching of mathematics. The impact of high-quality training by the local authority is evident in teachers’ skilled questioning. This extends and challenges pupils’ understanding of the subject.
• While pupils have opportunities to develop their skills in reasoning and working with fractions in some year groups, this practice is not yet fully developed across the school.
• Pupils have daily opportunities to develop their reading skills and to read for pleasure. They use their phonics knowledge to decode unfamiliar words and demonstrate a range of core reading skills to help them make sense of a text. Pupils spoke with enjoyment about their favourite authors and books.
• Within the class and in small-group intervention work, teaching assistants provide a good level of support to those pupils who require additional help with their learning. Teaching assistants have received a range of high-quality training, especially with regard to the teaching of phonics and mathematics. This has enabled them to play an effective role in supporting less-able pupils.
• The quality of pupils’ work in some foundation subjects is variable. For example, science reporting lacks structure and content in some year groups. While religious education and PSHCE books have examples of extended writing with the same high expectations of presentation and spelling as in English books, the good-quality presentation and focus on writing skills are not evident across books in all subject areas. History and geography books show that pupils’ work is variable in quality. In these subjects, the most able pupils in history, geography and science are not always provided with an appropriate level of challenge to achieve as well as they could.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are safe and say they feel safe.
• Pupils are punctual to their lessons and are well prepared to begin their learning. They are confident and enjoy talking about their learning.
• Pupils have a clear awareness of how to keep safe and look after themselves. For example, within a Year 6 computing lesson, pupils demonstrated a deep understanding of the risks online and the ways to stay safe when using the internet.
• There has been a significant and sustained improvement in attendance for those groups of pupils who had previously had higher rates of absence.
• Pupils are aware of the ways in which to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep themselves healthy.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils behave well throughout the school, within lessons and at break and lunchtimes. Pupils are polite and respectful to staff, visitors and each other.
• Bullying records show that incidents of bullying are rare and any that arise are dealt with quickly and appropriately. The Year 6 peer mediation team is proud of its responsibilities and its work to ensure that playtimes are safe and enjoyable.
• There have been four fixed-term exclusions and no permanent exclusions during this academic year.
• Pupils have a positive attitude to learning. They take pride in their work and there is clear evidence of improved presentation in their books. This is as a result of the leaders’ effective actions to develop high-quality presentation and handwriting.
• The 24 pupils on the school council stated that they enjoy the responsibility of representing their peers and felt that their opinions are valued. These pupils are proud of their roles as a result of democratic elections and they are committed to doing a good job.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils’ progress has accelerated owing to improvements in teaching, learning and assessment. Progress in reading and writing is good, and improving in mathematics.
• While the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in phonics rose in 2017, the figure was below the national average. However, leaders have introduced a new phonics scheme, which has improved staff knowledge, understanding and their assessments of pupils’ progress. As a result, Year 1 pupils are on track to be in line with the current national average in 2018. Phonics outcomes in Year 2 were consistent with the national average in 2017 and current assessment information indicates that pupils will achieve at least as well in 2018.
• In key stage 1, pupils’ attainment was below the national average for reading, writing and mathematics, but above for science. However, good teaching now enables these pupils to make accelerated progress within key stage 2.
• In 2017, outcomes in reading for Year 6 pupils at the expected standard were above the national average, and average at the higher standard. Pupils can articulate their favourite books and authors. They are given plenty of opportunities to develop a love of reading. As a result, pupils in key stage 2 are making good progress in this aspect of their learning.
• Pupils’ attainment in writing in 2017 was in line with the national average for those reaching the expected standard and at greater depth. Leaders have focused on embedding a structured and consistent approach to writing across classes. Consequently, pupils in key stage 2 are making good progress in writing.
• The intense and effective emphasis on improving the teaching of mathematics is having a positive impact on pupils’ progress in this subject. Results at the end of key stage 2 in 2017 were below the national average for attainment and in the lowest 10% for progress. While many pupils across the school are making more accelerated progress, pupils in the younger year groups sometimes do not have opportunities to apply their mathematical skills, especially in reasoning and fractions.
• The school has taken effective action to address the area for development in the last inspection report relating to raising the attainment of the most able pupils. As a result, in 2017, the proportions of pupils achieving the higher standard in reading and greater depth in writing were at the national average, and above the national average at the higher standard for mathematics and English grammar, punctuation and spelling. School leaders are taking action to incorporate greater challenge for the most able pupils in science and the foundation subjects but this is not yet consistent.
• For the small number of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, the coordinator ensures that funding is used appropriately to support these pupils in overcoming any specific barriers to learning.
• The small number of disadvantaged pupils attain well at key stage 2 in reading and writing, mathematics and science, often better than their peers in school and nationally. This is a direct result of staff and leaders using their in-depth knowledge of individual pupils to ensure that they receive the most appropriate support and that barriers to learning are removed as far as possible.

Early years provision Good

• The school has its own pre-school provision, the ‘Honeypot’, which currently caters for 60 children aged between two and four years. The majority of children joining Willingham have attended Honeypot Pre-school. Leadership of the provision is good. The school's early years leader and the Honeypot Pre-School manager work closely to ensure the transition for children into early years school is smooth and that baseline information is used accurately to assess pupils' starting points.
• Children generally start in the Reception Year with skills and abilities that are typical for their age. Children make good progress in their learning and are prepared appropriately for the next stage of their education when they move into Year 1.
• The 2016 cohort entered Reception with skills and abilities that were significantly below those found typically, with a range of social, emotional and behavioural needs, as well as SEN support requirements. Even though the proportion of children achieving a good level of development was below the national average, a comparison against baseline information shows that children made good progress given their starting points.
• Early years staff ensure that systems and procedures for safeguarding are robust and that children feel safe and are safe. The learning environment, both outdoors and indoors, is safe and secure and also vibrant and interactive. As a result, children settle comfortably and quickly into routines and activities. They are confident in using the range of different resources available to them.
• Children were confident and demonstrated pride in talking to inspectors about their learning journeys.
• Teaching in the early years is good. Staff regularly and accurately track children’s abilities and their progress in the prime and specific areas of development.
• Links between the early years team and parents are effective. Before children start in the provision, staff conduct visits to each child's pre-school setting and meet individually with parents on entry to school. Staff ensure that parents are fully involved, not just with these initial assessments, but throughout their child’s education in the setting and during the transition to Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number 110622 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 10041755 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 307 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Caroline Hyde Headteacher David Morel Telephone number 01954 283 030 Website www.willingham.cambs.sch.uk Email address head@willingham.cambs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 2 December 2015

Information about this school

• The new headteacher has been in place since the beginning of the spring term. He is supported by a strong team of school leaders.
• Willingham is larger than the average primary school, with 307 pupils.
• The school runs its own pre-school provision, ‘Honeypot’, for children between 2 and 4 years. There are currently 60 children on roll.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is well below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The school has an after school club every afternoon as well as a breakfast club every morning.
• The school meets the current government floor standards, which set minimum requirements for attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning across all year groups.
• Inspectors listened to pupils reading and scrutinised the work they had completed in books.
• Inspectors talked to pupils about their learning and behaviour and safety.
• The lead inspector met with eight governors, including the chair and vice-chair of the governing body. She also met with a representative of Cambridgeshire local authority.
• Inspectors met with teachers who had leadership responsibilities for English, mathematics, the early years, physical education, art and SEN. They also met with the manager of the pre-school.
• The lead inspector looked at the school’s evaluation of its own performance and its development plan.
• Inspectors considered documentation relating to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.
• Inspectors analysed the 115 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. They also met with parents at the start of each day of the inspection.
• Inspectors considered the views of staff through analysis of the 33 responses to the staff survey.

Inspection team

Rowena Simmons, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Marios Solomonides Ofsted Inspector Susannah Edom-Baker Ofsted Inspector